Tea-ball tree.



' w. F. KILKENNY.

` TEA BALL TREE. APPUCATION -HLED Aue.1o, 1914.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

www@ W when replaced to suspended 'Fig. l.

l recess for receiving the balls, presently described.

' ...realizaran-TREE., Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917'.

pplication filed August 10, 1914. Serial No. 856,111.

To all w/wm t may concern: Y

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM F. `KIL- KENNY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tea-Ball Trees, -of which the following is a specification. -V

his invention relates to a tea ball tree or device for supporting va yplurality of teaballs or the like in a handy position for use,

and the invention has for its'object to provide in such a device a base a standard provided with a plurality of or other suitable article suspended therefrom and to also provide in the base of the tree or support a suitable receptacle for receiving the drippings from the tea balls position after using.

. With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim. Y

In the accompanying` drawings:

Figure l is a sectional elevationof my improved tea ball tree showing a number of tea balls suspended therefrom.

ig. 2 is a plan view of the tree, the standard being in section on line 2,*2 of Referring to the drawings V10 designates the base of the tea ball supporting device, which is preferably struck or spun up out of sheet metal, and is herein shown as being in a circular form, but this y not essential. The upper surface of this base is concaved at ll orming an annular drip Vfrom the tea The middle portion 12 of this base is preferably raised or thickened andvto it is secured a standard 13 which may be made of wire or other suitable material. The top 0f the standard is provided witli a cross bar 14 or other suitable portion having particular form is handle by which the device may be readily f engaged and moved about by hand.

he primary object of this device is to v provide means forsupporting a plurality of tea balls in suspended position and any suitabl supporting means may beemployed for this purpose,V butfI have herein shown a plurality of arms 15 connected by a collar 16 to the standard, said wardly similar to the branches of a tree and over a ringor hoop 17 to which the arms are secured to stiften the same and bettei' hold them The outer or free ends of these arms are arms extending upin spaced apart relation;V

preferablybent downward and into a hook p' Y form as at 18 to provide convenient means on which to hang the tea balls. The tea balls 19,' themselves, are-made in halves and preferably of sheet metal and perforated, the lower portion 20 of said halves being secured to a stem 2l while the upper half 22 is adapted to slide vertically onv thisstem and the two halves are provided with a suitable lock 24 whereby they may bereadily connected together after havingbeen separated to receive the leaves of tea from which the beverage is brewed. The upper end'of the stem is provided with a ring oreye 23 by Whichthe tea balls may be readily connected to and-suspended fromvthe differentY l arms of the tree.V

drip from the tea balls after having been used will be received and retained by this groove.

The device is and ance and is of the proper size to set upon a tea or serving table, so that each person may to prepare his own tea.

I claim.:

In atea ball supporting device, a base have an individual ball from which4 shaped to form a drip trough, an upright rod secured to said base and provided at its upper end with a handle, and a plurality of arms having their inner ends arranged about Said rod and Secured thereto, said arms radiating from said rod, and terminating in hooks for supporting tea balls directlyabove said trough, whereby drippings therefrom will be collected in Said trough, said trough being provided with a central upstanding 10 tapering boss to deflect drippings into the trough.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesse s WILLIAM F. KILKENNY. VitnesSes: HOWARD E. BARLOW,

A. F. MaGREADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

